Commentary: Alaska must prepare for shift in national policy

Monday, the Anchorage Chamber of Commerce got a briefing that might be listed under the heading of "What a difference an election makes." Local attorney Heather Grahame told the business group's weekly luncheon that the new Congress and the new president will push major new laws to reduce greenhouse gas pollution. She urged Alaska businesses to think about getting ready for the coming change.

There is "extraordinary political momentum" for action on greenhouse gases, said Grahame, who specializes in energy legislation at the law firm Dorsey & Whitney.

"Obama promised to make us a worldwide leader on climate change," she noted, and he is appointing people who will make good on that promise. In Congress, key committee positions are now held by members who are eager to move greenhouse gas legislation.

Fixing the economy is still the top priority in Washington D.C., but climate change is right behind on the "to-do" list.

The days of "inaction by the federal government" on global warming are over, according to Grahame.